Draft attachment for railway cars



Oct. 21, 1941. T. JOHNSON ETAL 2,260,076

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed March 1'7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 21, 1941. G. T. JOHNSON E-rAL.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1'7, 1958 Patented Oct. 21, 1941 DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS George T. Johnson and Harry H. Wolfe, Columbus, Ohio, assgnors to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Application March 17, 1938, Serial- No. 196,497

4 claims.

This invention relates to improvements in draft attachments for railway cars, and more particularly to combined strikers, front draft lugs and key slot structures which form parts of such attachments.

The primary purpose of the invention is to provide skeleton castings which will form combined strikers, front draft lugs and key slot structures of relatively light but strong construction, and which may be attached to the draft sills by welded joints.

Another object is to provide a striker having an integral bottom tie bar adapted to support a wear plate which is interlocked therewith and secured to the striker by a relatively light bolt.

A further object is to provide a striker and wear plate constructed to facilitate interlocking of the wear plate with the striker, and which will not necessitate the use of bolts or the like.'

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of one form of our improved structure, taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of one-half of the main casting shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1 of another modification of the invention, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one-half 'of the main casting shown in Fig. 6.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 9 designates a main casting having a rectangular front plate Ill thatA forms the front wall of .the striker.

The bottom II of the striker is preferably of inverted U-shape in section, has its ends integral with the sides I2 of the striker, and is preferably reinforced by an internal rib I3.

Cheek plates I4 extend rearwardly from the sides of the striker and terminate at their rear ends in front draft lugs I5.

join the top and bottom of the draft lugs to thef striker, and are arranged respectively at` the upper and lower edges of the webs I8 of the cheek plates. Y

Substantially elliptical flanges I9 are arranged at the medial portions of the webs and project from opposite-sides thereof to provide key slots 20. Reinforcing ribs 2I connect the front ends of the flanges I9 to the front plate I 0 of the striker. Y

The web of each cheek plate is provided with a number of apertures 22 which not only reduce` the weight of the casting but provide edges whereby the casting may be welded to the center sills 43. The outer edges of the front lugsv I5 and the ribs I6 and I1 also provide means where-- by the casting may be welded to the centerr sills.

The top 23- of the striker is extended. rearwardly, as shown, to provide a relatively large horizontal plate adapted to extend back under the end sill of the car4 (not shown), and thus distribute the force to the reinforcedend structure of the car. The ribs I6 and I1 also distribute the bufng forces from the striker along the Webs of the center sills 43.

With this form of the invention, we employ a wear plate casting 24 having depending flanges 25 adapted to interlock with the tie bar II, and due to this interlocking, the wear 4plate may be secured to the sides of the striker by a lighter bolt which will be passed through the holes 26.

'I'he structure shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive differs from that in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive in two main respects. In this construction, a top plate 30 having a horizontal portion 3| co-planar with the top wall 32 of the striker, also has a forwardly and downwardly inclined portion 33 which merges into the lower edge of the upper front wall 34 of the striker. In this embodiment, the upper ribs 35 connect the part 30 to the front draft lugs 36.

The bottom tie bar 31, in this instance, is integral with the sides of the striker and is provided with a rearwardly extending ange Yor shelf 38 having a vertical notch 39 cut in its rear end. Here also the carrier or wear plate 4I) has depending flanges III interlocking respectively with the bottom tie bar 31 and the ange 33. The wear plate has a lug 42 which projects forwardly from the rear flange 4I and interlocks with the notch 39. When the coupler, not shown, is used with this construction, it will prevent the wear plate from detaching from the bottom tie bar 31, and the interlocking features will hold the wear Upper and lower reinforcing ribs I6 and I1 55 plate in place.

While we have disclosed what we now consider to be preferred embodiments of our invention in such manner that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, it is apparent that changes may be made in the details disclosed Without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway draft attachment, a combined striker, key slot and front draft lug casting, comprising an annular striker portion, front draft lug portions, and side web portions connecting the striker portion to the front draft lugportions, and upper and lower ribs integral with the web portions and extending from theV striker portion to the front draft lug portions, the striker portion including a bottom tie bar having a rearwardly extending flange provided with a notch, and a wear plate straddling the tie bar and having depending flanges interlocked with the bar and lug, and another lug fixed to the wear plate and extending into said notch to prevent lengthwise shifting of the wear plate.

2. Iny a draft attachment for railway cars, draft sills having side walls, a casting comprising an annular striker portion arranged at one end of said sills, skeletonizedl side web portions integral with the striker portion and extending from the striker portion between the Walls of' said sills, and front draft lugs integral with and arranged at the ends of said Web portions, each web portion being provided with a substantially elliptical integral flange extending through one wall of' the draft sills and having a portion arranged substantially in lateral alignment with the front draft lugs, each of said flanges having a key slot, each web portion being provided with relatively large openings immediately above and belowl its flange to facilitate joining the casting to said sidewalls by welding.

3. In a draft attachment for railway cars,

draft sills having side walls, a casting comprising an annular striker portion arranged at one end of said sills, skeletonized side web portions integral with the striker portion and extending from the striker portion between the Walls of said sills, and front draft lugs integral with and arranged at the ends of said web portions, each web portion being provided with a substantially elliptical integral flange extending through one wall of the draft sills and having a portion arranged substantially in lateral alignment with the front draft lugs, each of said flanges having a key slot, each web portion being provided with relatively large openings immediately above and below' its Harige to facilitate joining the casting to said side walls by Welding, and reinforcing means joining the upper and lower ends of the front draft lugs to the top and bottom portions of the striker portion and including longitudinally extending ribs arranged at the upper and loweredge portions of the side web portions.

4'. In a draft attachment for railway cars, draftsillshavingside walls, a casting comprising an annular striker portion arranged at one end of said sills, skeletonized side Web portions integral with the striker portion and extending from the striker portion between the walls of said sills, and front draft lugs integral with and arranged at the ends of said web portions, each web portionv being provided With a substantially elliptical integral flange extending through one wall of' the draft sills and having a portion arranged substantially in lateral alignment with the front draft lugs, each of said flanges having a key slot, eachweb portion being provided with relatively large openings immediately above and below' its. flange to facilitate joining the casting to said side wallsby Welding, and reinforcing ribs integral with' and connecting the striker portion to the elliptical flanges.

. GEORGE T. JOHNSON.

HARRY H. WOLFE. 

